Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-10-22


'ollY, dom buy our rear, $ to
az g Jolly utberford Iookedsu
.ssquick from:the jewelers. case ssh
iHswass bending over, and saw Nj
cIlwaine standing at her side.
a"Wlly shouldn't ! buy today
Eshe4 cried. "I have had this hun.
Edred dollars in gold for almost
l.year, Mr. McTlwaine, trying t,
Jimake up my mind what wanted
.tmost; .now my birthday is almos
there again, and 1 am afraid Grand
sIpa. will.make this do fols two birth
4 days,if I 'thurry and spend it,
But P1lly's gay little laugh wa,
! checked bYslook of unmistakablt
lI;compassion in the gentleman'se eyes
1.-THE color faded a little from he
.|hright young face, but she would
not ask any questions here in the
scrowded store.
"Yod may put them back to-day
Mr.. W est,n she said to the ieweler
]sl:"l'll come again to morrow"
every we'll. Miss Rutherford
said the vexed salesman, conceal
ling his disappointment, 81 shall re
lserve them for yon."
Polly left the tempting store will
1;Mr. McIlwaine, and once on the
street turned upon him pllr vi
frank, questioning eyes, which Ii.
/ found hard to answer.
Paul Mcllwaine was a friend oil
the Rutherford family; bnt not
specially of little Polly; she wa
only sixteen, a mere child to tile
hard working lawyer of thirty, and
one whom he considered us alto
gether'frivolous and empty. Polly
was an only daughter, living with Il
widowed mother in her grand
fathers elegant house, aud if She
was not a spoiled girl itswas
not the fault of the doting old
grandfather, whose idol she had
been from her babyhood.
-"What did you mean, Mr.. Nc.
Efl Eiine s, she k6fa99srloaiHg Took
brought no reply. Aud then, see
ing how embarrassed he seemed
about answering, she said, with a
sudden fear, "Have YOU been at
Grandpa's since 1 left9 Is any
thing the matter?"
"They are all well," he said, ans
werlng the thought which be knew
was in her mind, shut something
has happened, Polly, of course, or
| I would not have inJerfered with
your purchase"
"Oh! tell me-" said The girl in an
agitated voice. "Why do you keep
me in suspense7"
"What a blundererI am, Thought
her companion. "If l tell her out
on the street, there will be a scene;
but Pm in for it now, and if | don't
tell her | suppose there will be a
scene; that's the way with these
fine young ladies.
at is a hard thing to say to you,
Polly, but your grandfather has
failed.
"Failed,n repeated Polly, vaguely,
s:you mean he has lost his moneys
lis that ala Is that what you were
afraid to tell mes'
"That sall' means q good deal
more than you seem to under
stand" said Paul McIlwalne, i'm
patiently; cit means loss and grief
and disappointment and poverty tc
one of the best gentlemen in the
world; it means hard work to your
mother who has no strength fol
work; to you -"
He stopped, and Polly SAID
quickly, feeling the tinge of con
tempt in his tone: "Never mind
about NE, but Isee now how bad il
will be; poor Grandpa! Mr.. Nell
waine does-must-will anybody
else lose by grandpa'S failure?o
ut is too soon to say positively
|.he replied, shut / think not.
i think he has quit business in time
i to leave his creditors without any
4 5appreciable loss"
Polly's head was p,now, and hel
4 eyes shining. "Dear old grandpa
/ she said, "bless his heart; l an
j ashamed that | asked the question
] III nightmare known. But, oh! I'm
so much obliged TO you for keeping
| me from spending my hundred dol
i lars; it was very kind of you, very
7 don't know how you came to fint
me. How long have you know
! about grandpas"
8 at only came out this morning
q and took US all entirely by surprise
s But here we are at your door, good
by, my dear; if I can be Of servic
to you in any way, (he had mean
Ito offer her money, but he was sud
denly afraid to speak of such
thing to the spirited looking cir
before him. remember the long il
$eimacy between our families give
81 me a right to help you."
4 "Thank you," she said, simply;
zwas all she had voice for,and, usin
a her iatcbkey, she let herself int
3 the house.